Since the ancient Grecian times, philosophers were aware of the likelihood of lucid dreaming – i.e., realizing that you are having a dream while in the dream phase – and theologians from St. Augustine’s time have known of such dreams also. However, it was just around the 1980s that the concept of lucid dreaming came into the realm of genuine scientific inquiry, principally because of studies that Stephen LaBerge & other psychologists carried out at Stanford University. These studies have brought to light a great deal of information regarding the lucid dreams’ nature and have presented several practical techniques for finding out how to bring on such dreams and raise their occurrence, length, and clarity.

However, such research was heralded and in several ways outdone centuries back by Buddhist thinkers in Tibet. Well, as Stephen Laberge says, “On the ‘rooftop of the world,’ it was in the early half of the 8th century A.D., that the Tibetan Buddhists practiced a type of yoga intended to keep one completely conscious during the dream phase. With these Tibetan dream yogic experts, we for the very first time discover a people who have an experientially founded and clear comprehension of dreams as exclusively the mental conception of the dreamer. Now this indeed is a concept totally at par with our latest scientific and psychological results.”
Now in Tibetan Buddhism, practicing dream yoga is followed within the broader context of striving to comprehend the intellect and the real, inner sources of both pain and true happiness. The 4 Noble Truths are the total structure of the Buddhist theory & practice – (1) realizing the actuality of pain, (2) removing the basic, internal reasons for pain, which are recognized as desire, antagonism, and delusion, (3) being aware of the likelihood of the end of pain and its cause, and (4) pursuing the path of holy cleansing and change that leads to such freedom.

Ethics is at the core of all Buddhist traditions, which can be summed up as “do not cause pain to others or yourself, and be ready to serve when the occasion arises.” The subsequent stage of practice is studying how to steady the psyche, and the one key aspect of such cerebral training is the fine-tuning of attention. This covers methods for improving the steadiness and intensity of attention, soothing the mind in order that one can keep a constantly focused, lucid consciousness. As the Buddha stated, “The mind that’s founded in balance comes to understand actuality as it is.” This kind of a steady mind is then employed to look at the makeup of the intellect and the sources and capabilities of human awareness.

This is precisely where the early ritual of dream yoga makes its presence. Experimental physicists carry out their investigations in labs that are totally made up of physical phenomena. In the same way, Buddhist thinkers who become skilled in field of dream yoga have the ability to employ the dream phase as the starting point for exploring the intellect, and their lab is totally made up of creations of consciousness! The initial step in such procedure is to find out how to be aware of the dream phase for what it actually is while one is dreaming. At first, one’s lucid dreams indeed are likely to last for a brief period, as one turns so keyed up that one hastily gets up!
However, with practice and time, one finds out how to steady the mind and maintain clarity, and this presents several possibilities for studying the dream phase. The initial thing to examine is: to what degree can one alter the contents and incidents in a dream randomly? Buddhist thinkers have discovered that the sole restriction on the pliability of dreams lies in the range of one’s imagination. In addition, as one gets more knowledge about the character of dreams, one finds out that nothing that a dream contains can hurt one. Everything is just an expression of one’s own psyche, and perhaps even the most appalling pictures and incidents are no more hazardous than optical illusions or mirror reflections.

An additional step in practicing dream yoga is permitting the dream to disappear, but without shaking off the lucidity of one’s consciousness. During a dream, all the physical senses are closed down already, so that when the dream pictures vanish, it disappears into the empty, bright space of consciousness itself. Now this is a remarkable chance to examine the “lucid glow of sleep,” where one experiences awareness without the sensory visions and conceptual creations being superimposed. Like this, one can start to survey the nature of awareness itself and see how it assumes various forms and modalities as one’s cognitive abilities and physical senses are stirred.

Contemporary lucid dream researchers clearly distinguish between the dream phase and waking state, and acknowledge that this distinction performs a vital part in their methods for bringing on lucid dreaming. However in certain ways, waking awareness and dreaming are far similar than we believe. As Stephen LaBerge says, “dreaming can be regarded as the unique case of insight without the restraints of outside sensory input. On the contrary, perception can be regarded as the unique case of dreaming that the sensory input controls.” Now the similarities between dreaming and waking are delved into exhaustively by the Tibetan Buddhists, who’ve come to the conclusion that, in comparison to holy enlightened beings, ordinary people live their lives largely in a dreamlike phase. When questioned whether he was god or man, he answered simply, “I’m awake,” and this is the real meaning of the term Buddha: “one who’s awakened.”

Basics of Christian Meditation

Any act of worship can be linked to the state where you are entering a meditative phase. Christian meditation is no different in this respect. Tracing back to the Bible, which says that all Christians should meditate on God’s words, you could spend part or whole of your meditation time, contemplating on any word, phrase or image which tallies with your religious faith and practice meditation, which is in line with your religious beliefs.

The starting point is to calm and clear your mind of the usual mental clutter, using any of the techniques that we have discussed. Then you could concentrate during your meditation on worshipping God, as you understand it, according to your religious faith. Many religious people have communicated with god during meditation. Clarity of mind helps them to do this.

Many Christians chant a mantra during their meditation. Internet could reveal many such mantras which you could also use during your meditation. On important point to remember here is no meditation, be it Christian or otherwise can absolve you of your past sins. Meditation is a simple process which enables you to communicate with God.

Basics of Guided Meditation

Guided meditations are best for beginners who need a constant guide to take them through the meditation process. This can be accomplished by using a pre-recorded tape or CD, where you simply play the tape, listen and follow the instructions as narrated. While you need a noiseless and tranquil place to start your guided meditation process, some typical places where you could start are:

• A large garden, preferably with a lot of trees where birds perch and twitter. A running brook is also a great addition as the sound of running water is very soothing.
• A forest clearance, preferably with a rumbling brook.
• A quiet and peaceful beach side, where the only sound you hear is the splashing of waves.

These venues are great places to start your guide meditation as you can feel sense and smell the surrounding better than other environments. For instance, the garden or forest can help you smell the wild fragrance of flowers and feel the wet morning dew under your feet. The whole idea is to surround your self with calm, tranquil and soothing sounds and smells.

In case the guided meditation is based on the art of hypnosis, then a hypnotic routine would help you to go deeper in the meditative phase. This is usually done by taking you down a few steps while counting the steps as you walk down. This is a powerful technique which helps you to go deeper down in your consciousness to reach the meditative phase.

Basics of New Age Meditation

One of the simplest ways to start and get into a meditative phase of mind is to lie back and listen to a pre-recorded meditation tape. There are plenty of such tapes available which you could choose from to get you started with the meditation process.

New age meditation techniques also involve creating some background sounds like running water or splattering rainfall. While this forms the background score, the brain is made to her some other sounds which could ‘binaural beats’ or some other types of tones which are conducive for entering a meditative state.

Though some may condemn this process as being artificial and unnatural way to enter the meditative state, this could be one of the easiest ways to get started. There is no hard work involved ‘trying’ to calm down the mind, as all you do is to play the track, sit or lie down with your headphones and let the system take off on its own.

What is Japa Meditation?

This type of meditation involves repeating a mantra, which could be a prayer verse or a set of words, through out the entire duration of your meditation. This mantra is spoken so slowly that only the speaker can hear it. Sometimes, though rare, it is chanted in the mind.

Japa meditation is usually recommended to be practiced in a sitting position, though it is perfectly alright if you find lying on your back or any other comfortable position to do your meditation and chant the mantra. Some of the common Japa mantras are:

• Om
• Hare Krishna
• Ram Nam
• Gayatri
• Om namo Narayana
• Pancha Tattva mantra
• Om namah Shivaya
• Om mani padme hum

According to Hindu and Buddhist religions, the mantra is usually given to the disciple by his or her own personal guru. The mantra is a simple tool of communication with God, somewhat similar to a prayer.

What is Chakra Meditation?

There are seven energy centers in our body. The aim of Chakra Meditation is to stimulate these vital centers. The seven energy centers and their positions in our body are given below:

1. Crown chakra: This is the master of all chakras and situated outside the body just over the head. It is usually colored violet and controls all the other chakras.

2. Ajna or third eye chakra: Colored indigo, this chakra is linked to the pineal gland located in the brain.

3. Throat chakra: Associated with the thyroid gland this chakra is blue in color.

4. Heart chakra: Linked to the immune system of the body, it is colored green and located inside the heart. The condition of this chakra is closely linked to your well-being.

5. Solar plexus chakra: This chakra is linked to the pancreas and the adrenal glands of the body and is important in the process of digestion. It is colored yellow.

6. Sacral chakra: As is evident from the name, it is located in your groin and linked to our emotion, sexuality and creativity. Mood swings are created when this chakra is not functioning properly. The color associated with this chakra is orange.

7. Base or root chakra: Our sense of survival and security as well as our powers of instinct are governed by this chakra which is colored red. It is a very important chakra which is situated at the base of the spine.

Chakra meditation involves concentrating on each chakra, working up from the root chakra and gradually moving up till you reach the crown chakra.
The aim of this meditation is to concentrate on each of the chakras to help bring balance and stability in their functioning. As your mind dwells on them individually, the state or normalcy is restored and all imbalances evened out. The meditation helps in restoring the mutual balance amongst all the chakras for optimum mental and physical health.

A pre-recorded chakra meditation guide would perhaps be the best option for a beginner, as the instruction voice takes you through the entire journey of concentrating on each of the chakras.

Healing Meditation

Though healing meditation can be used to heal yourself and others, we will concentrate only on the former, since you are just getting started. Used to cure the body from various categories of illnesses, healing meditation starts exactly the way any other meditation process does. Once you are relaxed and calm, the actual healing meditation begins.

To start with, imagine a bright light covering the area which needs healing. There are various colors which can be imagined which enhances the healing process, but to begin with, you could imagine a bright white light.

As you cover the healing area with the bright white light, you start to see everything gloriously illuminated. Then imagine the affected area gradually returning to its normal healthy state. While the thought of white blood cells attacking the affected area helps a lot of people, others simply use their own creativity and imagination to illuminate the affected area and bringing it back to normal state.
This process enables you to go as creative as you can with the healing process. If you find it difficult to imagine any area which is affected by disease, simply imagine that the area is a healthy part of your body as it was before the disease condition affected it. You do not have to be 100% correct in your visualization, so long as you try to cover the affected part with your own illumination. You are simply showing the body part the direction for it to become healthy again.

Zen Meditation

There are two essential items used in Zen meditation, which is done sitting on a cushion placed on a mat on the floor. The items are called zafu and zabuton, where the zabuton is the mat placed on the floor and the zafu is the cushion placed on the mat. Placement of these items helps to ease the pressure on your legs while you meditate, so that you could concentrate on the meditation it self and not on your uncomfortable legs.

The essence of Zen meditation is to open up the chain of thoughts. It is normally done in a sitting position where your spine should be erect and your hands and legs folded.

The internet is a good source to find the different sitting positions which are used in Zen meditation. If you have problems in any particular sitting posture, you could always try another one.

Once you are able to sit comfortably in one of the Zen recommended positions, keep your eyes half-closed. The purpose of this is not to put you off to sleep and not get distracted by external distractions.

The process starts with focusing your mind on your breath or on counting. With practice, you would find that it becomes easier to concentrate every time you sit to meditate. Zen meditation is best done when you practice it with a group who are experienced so that you could access the various teachings associated with it. You could also expect the support which a coherent group can offer in such cases.

Of the many types of meditation methods available only a few common ones are discussed below. If you do not find them suitable, try the internet to find more options. Some forms of meditation can be done without any aid like a candle or a CD or MP3 playing in the background. Since there is no hard and fast rule of meditating, choose which ever method suits you best.

Breathing Meditation
One of the easiest methods of meditation, in this process, you simply focus on your breath. Sit on a chair or lie on your back – choose the position you feel most comfortable in. then close your eyes and notice how you breathe in and breathe out. Breathing process is so natural that most of us take it for granted. Continue breathing easily and keep your focus on your breathing. You will soon notice thoughts coming up. These could range from friends, family, spouse, children, office, and neighbor – whatever. It does not matter as this is a natural thing to happen. Do not shun the thoughts – instead let them come and go as naturally as possible. Once a thought comes out, let it leave you with your next breathe out, as you continue to focus on your breathing.

Walking Meditation

If you find that sitting or lying down in a particular position with your eyes closed is a difficult meditation posture for you, then walking meditation could be of help, of which there are four components:

• Awareness of your breathing.
• Awareness of your environment
• Awareness of the movements of your body.
• Reflection on the meditation experience.

Focusing on your breathing is the same way as in breathing meditation where you become aware of your inhalation and exhalation process. Each exhalation means discarding your thoughts one after the other till they all somehow does not come any more.

Becoming aware of your environment is an amazing process by itself. There are so many things around us, yet half of them go unnoticed. Try with colors – is the blade of grass just green or a mixture of some other colors?

Then the sounds around you – the traffic, the sound of birds, the chatter of people are all sounds we hardly pay any attention to. Slowly tune in to these sounds. Then try to appreciate the smells around you. They could be from freshly mown grass or a roadside flower. There are innumerable colors, sounds and smells around us, most of which we are not even aware of.

Start noticing the various body movements as you walk: the pressure on your heels, the slow twisting of your toes and the gentle sway of your hands. Feel the air touching your skin. Once you start noticing and becoming aware of the several body movements as you walk, you would be transported to another world, quite of your own.

After you have completed your walking meditation, take some time off to contemplate and run over your walking meditation experience. Think whether there are any ways you could improve this experience the next time you take up walking meditation. After this, slowly and steadily come back to your regular world.

“Continued or extended thought; reflection; contemplation” is the dictionary meaning of the word ‘meditation’. But how does this get reflected in our lives?

Though stress and tension are parts of our everyday life, most of us become victims of these, which in turn make us fall sick. Meditation, if practiced regularly, calms our mind and helps it to win over the everyday stresses.

While there are various ways to do meditation, essentially people meditate better in a quiet place where there is less distraction. Meditation basically calms your mind and reduces the constant mental clutter. It elevates the mind to a more tranquil state.

Many believe that meditation transports us to a higher level of consciousness. When the mind is free of clutter, you automatically start to notice and hear things which you would otherwise ignore. For instance, when you meditate deeply you can hear the sound of the air conditioner or the traffic and in a rural set up, the sounds of birds chirping or the gentle murmur of leaves. These sounds help us to reach a deeper meditative phase.

How to Start Meditating?

To meditate choose a time and place when and where you are not likely to be disturbed. To begin with, you could set aside 10 to 15 minutes in a day, when you will meditate. This is a long time since you might be able to give only this amount of time to meditation when you are just beginning. That is perfectly alright. Do it the way you like it best. At least it is better than not doing it at all. With time, when you realize its benefits, you would automatically increase its duration. The best advice is to devote 20 minute slots per day for your meditation. Research has proved that this time is sufficient to reduce stress and improve health conditions. Here is a short check list to get you started with meditation:

• Select a method of meditation from any of the concepts given below.
• The timing should be when you are not likely to be disturbed.
• The place of meditation should allow you to relax.

The time that you select for meditation should be such that you can devote that particular time regularly. While some meditate the first thing in the morning, some meditate before going to sleep. There is no specified time for meditation. Choose one slot according to your convenience, but make sure that you devote this time regularly.

The place where you practice meditation is also up to you. Some dedicate a room for this purpose, though for beginners this is asking for too much. Perhaps your bedroom is a good venue, or the lounge or even the garden. The place is not that important, so long as do it regularly.
Feel free to alter the venue for meditation, if you find that the place originally chosen is not suiting you. This rule is applicable for the timing and the method that you have chosen. The means justify the end, when it comes to meditation. It is the benefit of meditation that you are focusing on.

A guided meditation via a CD or MP3 can be a good idea to start. These instructions are easy to follow – all you need is a place to listen to it uninterrupted.

All of us irrespective of race, creed and religion, have the potential to reach higher states of living and experience the joys of spiritual life. It is after all, one’s own choice. Abundance, peace and happiness are not things which are unattainable. They are yours only when you calm your mind. Though difficult in modern times, it is possible.

The mind is a thought-generating machine which works non-stop. Yet if you can block all thoughts you can reach that section of the mind which is capable of transforming knowledge to feasible and workable ideas. For silence to enter the mind, you need to stop that incessant chain of thoughts and still your mind. Even your thoughts of transforming knowledge into ideas and all intellectual thoughts must stop.

It is not unnatural for the ever-chattering mind to express itself through words from the mouth.
Meditation helps to calm the mind and search out for answers for your problems which seemed beyond. As the physical body needs exercise to keep its shape and retain its inner strength, the mind also requires exercise through meditation to calm the feelings and thoughts.

Silence brings in that connectivity with the innermost being which paves the way for inner fulfillment and peace.
Thinking being the mind’s primary activity, it never stops thinking which is mostly triggered by curiosity. Until all the answers are found, the mind never stops thinking and probing. Every time a new thought enters, the mind jumps at a fresh opportunity to think again.

On the other hand meditation allows silence to enter the mind which can provide innermost help and guidance in life.
When the mind is agitated, it is thinking non-stop. When it feels tired due to over strain it seeks relaxation to start thinking again.
To let silence creep in your mind you need to get rid of the baggage of memories, most of which are hurtful or negative. Our mind is somehow trapped with the past.
Silencing the mind also needs you to discard the future as it is still not a reality. Therefore you need to live only in the present, which is a reality. The past and future have both become illusions. The present is the only time when you can exist.
It only when you exist in the present can you let go of all the results of your actions or ‘karma’. Identity of your self is no longer dependent on your successes or failures. It is only when you connect with the innermost layer of your soul through silence can you find inner peace. You start to live only in the present moment as you have left all your past baggage behind, Meditation
Mediation is a tool which helps you relax and calm your mind. The constant rushing in and out of thoughts are soothed through relaxation brought in by meditation.

Love, understanding, tolerance, inner strength and happiness increases. You are better equipped to focus and your mind is in better control. You are now able to enjoy the present and now in stead of blaming, judging and criticizing others or yourself.
The best cure for restlessness is relaxation. When you find thinking enjoyable try and compare its force with the power of silence. Thinking will fade in comparison. Though thinking can help you get clever solutions, silence can bring in the whole exercise in complete perspective of which the cleverness is a small fraction. Silence can even help you become more creative in your thoughts as well as actions.

The Divine which rests inside all of us can be touched with the power of silence and silencing the mind. When the Divine touches the mind, some distinguish as ‘light’. The resultant emotions are love and delight.
Lastly, remember you can also touch the Divine within you provided you invite silence first. Your mind is filled with love, light and delight as silence paves the way for Divine to come up and touch your mind with that Golden wand.

Regulating one’s own spirituality can help us find a new goal for peace, tranquility and ever-lasting calm. The goal of seeking spirituality is to connect with the innermost self which lays several layers deep within our soul. Since our nature is varied – so is the spirituality which is different for each one of us. The ultimate aim of gaining a spiritual outlook in life is that you find peace and happiness in everything you do. You feel good about yourself and see the good side of the world. A journey to spirituality can be a fulfilling journey towards the growth and development of your personality.

We all know and realize the importance of prayer in our daily lives. It even affects our attitude. Prayers are often said on someone’s behalf. Meditation is also a form of prayer where you are aiming to get in touch with you, the person inside you. When you pray, you experience the feeling of calmness. Like prayers, meditation also brings us closer to the real person who we are and substantial improvement can be obtained with prayer as well as meditation.

How do I meditate?
The first thing we ought to remember about meditation is that this is a tool which integrates all body functions with our thoughts and senses, helping us to relax. When our mind is calmed, we gain better control over it. Instead of the mind ruling us, we rule the mind. This in turns us helps us to feel spiritual, which elevates the energy level in our body. With enhanced energy levels we are in a better mood to work and live life calmly and peacefully. We learn to focus, which otherwise we find so difficult to do. When you first start meditating, you will realize how difficult it is to sit quietly in one position, and how hard it is to concentrate. For most of us, meditation is all about learning to blank the mind and concentrate. You will often find the mind wandering or drifting. Let it wander. After sometime, when the thoughts get a break from constant churning, you will move on to meditate.

How to begin
Find a comfortable position when you first begin to meditate. Keep your body upright as you sit relaxed on the chosen spot. Keep your back in an upright and aligned position. Once you are completely relaxed and every muscle of your body is feeling unwound, take a deep breath so that the air reaches deep into the lungs. Hold your breath and then exhale. Continue this exercise in this position many times every time watching your breath coming in and going out. As you watch your own breathing, you will be relieved of unwanted thoughts and stress.

As soon as your thoughts calm down, you will learn to meditate and feel complete peace within. The non-stop mental noise created by innumerable thoughts will gradually clear with meditation. Once your mind is free from clutter, you can focus better and do things which you want to do in a far constructive and smoother way.
Practice daily meditation if you want to keep control over your mind and challenge unwanted thoughts. It is a difficult process in the beginning, as the mind has a habit of wandering and inviting thoughts which are unpleasant. Allow such thoughts to come in and get out as smoothly as possible without creating any obstruction in their passage. Do not force your mind to do any thing or follow any step. Simply feel and touch freedom. Once you have finished with your meditation, say a prayer for the less fortunate people of the world. This will impart a great feeling within your mind.

Though yoga could be the most comfortable method of mental and physical relaxation, it is a lot more than a mere relaxation technique. In fact, relaxation is just the first step in the whole process.
One of the easiest ways to relax is to practice Yoga Nidra where you lie still on your back and carefully follow the instructions. Effective for people who need a viable method for relaxation, there are many who use tapes or CDs of Yoga Nidra. These people have no other knowledge of yoga or meditation.

There are instances when people complain to me saying that they simply can not relax, no matter what they do. Inevitably, these people have tried methods of relaxation, where they have to constantly imagine that they have to relax. At the end of such an exercise, it is no wonder that the person is frustrated and irritated at not being able to derive any benefit from relaxation, having to spend so much effort and energy to achieve his goal.
Yoga Nidra is one yogic practice where you are never instructed to relax. My personal experience shows that people, who have had problems relaxing earlier, have derived quick benefits from this practice.
While it is an easy process for relaxation for beginners, it is equally popular with school children and the elderly. It is highly valued at work places.

There is nothing as good as Yoga Nidra to improve your concentration, revival of energy and resting the frayed nerves. You can practice Yoga Nidra any time you want. This has a very good effect on your sleep especially if you have problems with your sleep.
When you practice Yoga Nidra, listen to the instructions without making any overt effort or using any mental force to do what you are doing. Follow what you are told to do with ease, interest and awareness. The rest takes care of itself.
When you start to practice Yoga Nidra, chances are that you might go off to sleep, which is perfectly in order, though the intention is to remain awake and aware. For some time you just can not follow the instructions. You think you have fallen asleep, yet you remain conscious. While falling asleep is a transitional event, with practice you would gradually remain present and aware in a deep state of consciousness.

To get the best results from Yoga Nidra, it is recommended that you lie down with your head pointing towards the north. Wear loose fitting clothes and lie down on an even floor instead of a over-soft mattress, etc. In case you find that you are likely to go off to sleep, keep your hands and feet uncovered or better still, and lie down with out any cover on your body. If you still tend to fall asleep, you need to rest your elbows on the floor with your forearms pointing upwards. This will prevent you from falling asleep as every time you do so, your forearms will drop on the floor and you would wake up.

The objective of Yoga Nidra, as with every other form of real meditation is to achieve consciousness which rests in itself. Thoughts, dreams and events may surface during yoga nidra practice which takes you back in time with memories flooding your consciousness. When these things happen – do not stick to any thought, simply let them come and pass. Do not be judgmental about any thought, person or event also. When you let your thoughts and emotions come and go with ease and calmness, you are freeing your mind of all impressions and reaching a truly relaxed state. Imagine your mind to have many open windows from where thoughts come and can immediately disappear, gradually making space for inspiration.

The primary purpose of meditation is to make your body and mind relaxed and focused. A time-tested and proven method of relaxation, practicing this art is known to improve your awareness, enhance the ability to concentrate and improve your overall quality of health and life.

Though associated frequently with monks and mystics, because of its origin, you do not have to denounce the worldly pleasures to practice meditation. You can do it anywhere anytime suitable, which includes right in your living room.
While there are innumerable ways you can meditate, the fundamental principle of all approaches remain same. The principal objective of meditation is controlling the mind and relieving it of the numerous negative, degenerative and swaying thoughts and fantasies. You are calming the mind by clearing years of accumulated garbage, which many of us call memories. Once the mind is free of the persistent mental clamor, it calms down and makes us more focused. This paves way for more positive mental energy to flow in which channel our thoughts for renewed activities.

What the most common mental ‘pollutants’ which crowd our mind? Broken relationships, noisy neighbors, disturbing colleagues, unachieved professional or personal goals, and many other different types of negative thoughts are continuously being produced in the mental factory production line. Shutting them out can cleanse the mind so that it can focus more on more beautiful things in life.
There are some meditation enthusiasts who also shut out all the stimulants of the other senses like sound and tough to complete dissociate themselves from the surrounding. This allows you to concentrate on something profound or a deeper though, if you so desire. Sometimes it can leave you baffled as we are so used to hearing voices and other sounds, and seeing things all the time. But if you try and succeed in creating this ‘shut out’ situation, you will find yourself becoming more aware and conscious of all things that are around you.

It is possible that the several meditation postures which you see on television can be awe-inspiring. Those supple and seemingly invertebrate bodies impossibly arched or those bodies which sit in incredibly difficult positions need not worry you. The whole aim is top remain as comfortable as you feel in any position of your choice, so long as it helps you to concentrate. This could mean sitting cross-legged, standing, lying down, and even walking.

A good starting point could be any position which allows you to relax and concentrate. Ensure that your back is erect when in a sitting or a standing position and never tensed or taut. Positions which are not allowed are the slouched posture or where you might fall asleep.

Clothes you wear should be loose and not tight-fitting as these have a tendency to make you feel tensed and bottled up.